Releasing device for wringers



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C). B. WOODRQW RELEASING DEVICE FOR WRINGERS Filed July 8. 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet l @cih 9, w23., www

l O. B. WOODROW RELEASING DEVICE FOR WRINGERS Filed July 8. 1919 2 Shee'bS-Sheet 2 Wwne as l i il @cto 99 i923@ iff RELEASING DEVICE FOR WRNGJERS. f

Application tiled July 8,

To all whom t may concern y Be it known that l, OLrvnn B. lVooDRow, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newton, in the county of Jasper and State oi Iowa, have invented a certain new and use ful Releasing Device for lVringers, of which the following` is a specification.

lhe object of my invention is to provide a releasing device for wringers, of simple, durable and inexpensive construction.

lvlore particularly it is my object to provide the combination of a wringer of the type having pressure devicesjfor imposing tension on the rolls, with means for operating the wringer including a reverse gear mechanism, and to provide a device forinstantaneously releasing the tension on the wringer rolls, said device being adapted when operated to automatically throw the reverse gear mechanism into neutral position.

A. further object is to provide in connection with the wringer a bar arranged to hold the wringer rolls under tension, and 'to provide a locking device for holding the parts in position for maintaining such tension, said parts being connected with a wringer operating mechanism whereby the movement of the parts, on the release of the tension, will operate a reverse gear mechanism for moving it to neutral position.

l/Vith these and. other objects in view my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: i 1

Figure 1 shows a front elevation of a dewice embodying my invention., 1

Figure 2 shows an end elevation of the same, the reverse gear mechanism being shown in vertical section.

Figure 3 shows a detail view of part of the mechanism.

Figure l shows a iop or plan view of part of the reverse gear operating mechanism.

VFigure 5 shows a vertical, sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 4r.

lfigure 6 shows a side elevation of the mechanism shown in Figure Li; and

Figure 7 shows an end elevation ofthe same.

Figure 8 is a detail, sectional view showieie. serial no, 309,404.

ing the manner in which the wringer rolls are driven from the power shafts.

rlhe wringer operating means including the reverse gear mechanism of my present device is similarin construction to that disclosed in my prior application No. 231,610

filed April 30, 1918.

In the drawings herewith which illustrate my invention I have used the reference. numeral l0 to indicate generally a supporting bracket having the laterally extendingi arm 10a. The bracket 10 and the arm 10a thereon support a wringer having the upright end members 11 and the wringer rolls 12 and 13 mounted'on shafts 14 and 15 which entend through the upright vend members 11.

Formed on the bracket 10. is a journal 17 for an upright shaft 18. The journal 17 is supported above a sleeve or other support 17%l to permit the bracket and the'wringer supported thereon to swing around the shaft 18. Mounted on one end of the wringer is a two-part gear casing 19, which receives a reverse gear mechanism at the upper end oit the shaft 18, shown clearly in Figure 2.

Rotatably but non-slidably mounted on the shaft 18 within the gear casing 19 are opposite bevelled gears 2() and 21 which mesh with a gear 22 on the shaft 15 of the lower wringer roll.'v

0n the adjacent portions of the gears 20 and 21 are clutch members 23.

Slidably but non-rotatably mounted on the shaft 18 between the gears 20 and 21 is a double clutch 24 having a central annular groove 25. ,I

Slidably mounted in vertically spaced bearings 25 outside the gear'casingll? is an upright rod 25, secured to which is a Clutch controlling member 26 which projects into the groove 25.

Pivotally mounted between its ends is a bell crank lever 27, havingat one end an elongated slot 28 which receives a pin 29 on the outer end of the clutch controlling member 26.A i

Pivoted to the other end of. the bell crank lever 27 is a socket BOinternally screwthreaded to receive one end or a link 31 which is screwed into said' socket. Un the link 31 adjacent to the socket 30 is a lock nut 32.

Mounted on the end of the wringer opposite the gear casing 19 is a bracket 33 having a substantially Hat horizontal portion 33m,

es 'i' mit provided with an upwardly extending curved flange 34, provided with three notches 34, 34, and 34.

Above the portion 33 of the bracket 33 is a plate or the like 36 which may have upwardly extending flanges at its side edges,

and which is provided at its ends and at its middle portion along its side edges with opposite pairs of ears 36. l0 Mounted in an opening in the central part of the portion 33a ot' the bracket 33 is an upright bolt 35, the upper end ot' which extends through the plate 36, as illustrated in Figure 5.

The lower end low the portion 33a of the bracket 33 and has mounted thereon a nut 36". Between the nut 36b and the lower surface of the portion 33 is a coil spring 37, the tension of which yieldingly holds the plate 36 snugly against the portion 332t and the ange 34.

On the bottom of the plate 36 is a lug 38 arranged to coact with the notches 3-11, 34", and 34.

Mounted in the middle pair of ears 36a is a pin or pintle 39 on which is pivoted one end of a controlling lever 40.

The controlling lever 4() is pivotally mounted on the pintle 39, s0 that it may be 50 swung to ditferent positions to be supported on either end of the plate 36.

The lever is illustrated in full lines in Figure 2 in one of such positions, and in dotted lines in said figure in another of 35 such positions. The 'lever is also shown in -full and dotted lines in its diiferent positions i'n Figure 4.

The end of the link 3l opposite the socket 30 is 11p-turned and extended through the opening in the plate 36, as shown in Figures 4, 5, and 7, and may be held in position by means of a cotter pin 31a.

ln order to lock the wringer in various positions of its swinging movement, around the shaft 13, l have provided a locking bolt 45, slidably mounted in bearings on the bracket 10. On the locking bolt 45 is a co1- lar 45". Between the collar 45h and one of the bars 45a is a coil spring 45c Vfor normally moving the locking bolt 45 toward its locking position.

ivoted to the bolt 45 is a link 46 which is pivotally connected with a lever 47. rthe lever 47 is pivoted on the outer end of the arm 1'01.

inasmuch as my wringer arranged to swing t() different positions with relation to its support. it will be obvious that there are substantial advantages in arranging the lever V4() so that it may be projected in ditferent directions with relation to the wrin rer, as herein shown.

Vith power operated wringers it sometimes occurs that clothing or other articles going through the wash will become wound ot the bolt 25 projects be- Livonia on the wringer rolls, and in order to save the clothing from being torn it is necessary to instantaneously stop the wringer.

Some mechanism for instantaneously stopping the wringer is also desirable in order to avoid injury to the operator whose hands might be drawn between the rolls.

There are various dev-ices for permitting the instantaneous release of the tension on the wringer rolls, and one ot' my objects is to provide such a device in this instance, but such a device does not solve the entire problem which is faced by the operator of a power operated wringer.

It the tension is instantly released, it will be noted that the lower wringer roll may still be left in gear and it sometimes occurs that the rubber of the wringer rolls is torn out in chunks even after the tension has been released, when the lower wringer roll is still left in gear with the power sha-ftv l have, therefore designed the present device which is adapted not only to instantaneously release the pressure on the wringer rolls, but also to simultaneously and antomatically throw the reverse gear into neutral position.

It may be mentioned in this connection that when the lug 33 is in the notch 34, the

link 3l will have been moved to position for operating the bell crank lever 27 and the clutch controlling member 26, 'for throwing one member of the double clutch 24 into engagement with the coacting clutch member on the gear 20, for rotating the wringer rolls in one direction.

When the lug 33 is in the notch 34", the parts will have been operated for bringing lthe double clutch member into coacting engagement with 'the clutch. member on the gear 21, for rotating the wringer rolls in the opposite direction.

`When, however, the lug 33 is in the center notch 34b the double clutch member24 will be held in neutral position.

ln this connection it may be mentioned that the spring 37 vieldingly holds the lug 38 in whichever ot the notches said lug may have entered, against any accidental displacement.

l will now describe my special mechanism for permitting instantaneous release ot the tension on the wringer rolls jfor simultaneously and automatically throwing the reverse gear mechanism into neutral position when the tension is released.

Mounted in the uprights l1 are strong coil springs 50v which are arranged in cooperative relation with the upper wringer( roll shaft. Y

Mounted horizontally between the upper ends of the uprights 1l is a cross bar 5l which has each ot' its ends detachably mounted in a socket member 62 which is secured adjacent to the outer ace of each of inventa i sockets d2 being del portion ot the ends hewn in section El Mounted on top of the springs 50 and beneath the ends ot the bar 5l are plates all which are designed to entend downwardly inwardly, and mounted on the upper edge of a cross oar ole.. The plates lb and .to the bar 5l serve to hold the springs 50 in position when the tension is released therefrom.

lldounted each end of the bar 5l is a thumb screw 53, said thumb screws being so armleggedv that their lower ends rest on the upper face oit the plates 5l". rllhe bar 5l is hinged at its central portion by means of hinge 5:2, said hinge bein secured to the under face of said bar, lhe upper face of one of the members of said bar 5l is provided with a bracket 54 on which is mounted a pivoted hook bar 55, one end oit which is provided with a hook 56 designed to engage an angular catch plate 57, said catch plate being mounted on the top face of the opposite member from which the bracket 54e is mounted. i ing 58 is provided under the opposite e e ot' the lever 55 for the purpose oi' yieldingly holding the hook 56 into engagement with the plate 57, the said plate 57 being designed hook 56 and the to hold the members of the bar 5l in rigid relation relative to each other, the thumb screws 53 being mounted in such a manner f that the upward yielding pressure of the springs will have a tendency to break the bar 51st its central portion, the breaking tendency being held by means of the hook 56.,

illivoted to each member of the bar 5l is a link 59. The links 59 are extended downwardly and across each other, as shown in Figure l, and are slidably mounted on the link 3l at their lower ends.

@n the link 3l are annular collars or the like ti() spaced from each other. andi term limiting devices so located as to accomplish the purposes hereinafter more 'fully explained. l

The outer ends of the bar 5I, when Vsaid bar is in horizontal position, are received in sockets (i2.

ln the practical operation of my imimprovcd device, the har 51 is moved to its horizontal position, the catch devices are moved to coacting locking position, and the screws 5? are then screwed 'tending to impose tension on the springs 50.

Assume that the clutch device, forming part ot thc reverse gear mechanism, is in position tor throwing the proper-gears into operativo relation tor rotating the wringer rolls convcigcntl'v7 in one direction, when the power sha `t 18 is rotated, then if it is desircd lo instantaneously release the tension on the wringer rolls, the operator may strike downwardly on the handle end of the lever 55 against the pressure ofthe spring 58 for releasing the catch devices.

The upward pressure ol the springs 5() against the members of the bar 5l will serve to throw the central portions of said bar upwardly and the parts will jump to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1.

The sockets 62 serve as fulcrums for the outer ends of thc bar 5l when thc locking device at, the center of the bar is released.

Assume that the link 3l has been moved toward the right, before the tension members are released, it will he seen that when the bar 51 jumps upwardly, the momentum of the members of he bar 51 will be sui"- icient to cause one of the links 59 to engage the right-hand collar 60 and force the link 3l toward the left to its mi klle"position when the reverse gear mechanism' will be moved to neutral position.

rlhe movement of the link 3l would he toward the right, when the tension imposing devices are released, if the rod 3l were at its lct't postion oi movement 'when the catch devices were released.

In any eventthe arrangement of the parts is such that whenever the catch devices are released and the central portion of the bar 51 jumps upwardly, the link 3l will be quickly moved to -position for throwing the reverse gear mechanism into neutral and disconnect the wringer from the power shaft. I

l consider this an important feature of my invention, insomuch as l have found that ivhere the tension on the wringer rolls is released, but the lower roll is not thrown out ot gear, the rotation of the lower roll with clothes wrapped on it will sometimes results in tearing chunks of rubber out of the wringer rolls.

lven it the tension is released. it clothing has been wrapped around the lower roll.y it will be seen that clothing might be torn by contact. with the frame of the machine by the continued rotation of the lower wringer roll.

The mechanism whereby l have accom plished the desired objects of my device is simple and inexpensive, and is accurate and certain in its operation.

The releasing device is easily operated and can be o )erated instantancously in case ot any trouble.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my improved device without departing vfrom the essential features and purposes ot my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified t'orms or" structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a wringer having cooperating rolls, a power shaft, operating means driven by said power shaft for imparting a forward rotary movement to a l given roll, operating means for imparting a reverse movement from said power shaft to said given roll,A means for imposing tension on said rolls, adapted to be instantly released, and means actuated bythe recoil of said ensionidevice for throwing said forward and reverse operating means out of operation when said tension means is released.

2. The combination of a wringer having reacting rolls, a power shaft, means including a reverse gear mechanism for connecting the power shaft with said rolls and inmeans for operatively position when the releasing mechanism has been operated.

3. In a device of the class described; the combination of a wringer with a reverse gear mechanism; means for operating said reverse gear mechanism, and 'moving it to different operative positions, and to neutral position; said last means including a longitudinal movable link; springs for imposing,r tension on the wringer rolls; a centrally hinged sectional cross bar above said springs; adjustable screws in said cross bar for varying the tension on said spring; socket devices at the ends of said cross bar; coacting locking devices on the adjacent portions of the cross bar at the hinged ends thereof; one of said locking devices having a handle portion adapted to be actuated for instantaneously releasin i the locking devices; spaced stop memers on said link; and rods pivoted to the members of the cross bar and slidably mounted on said link on op )osite sides of said stop members.

` l)es Moines, Iowa, May 21, 1919.

' OLIVER B. IVOODROIN. 

